


Dare to Do This

by twowritehands



Category: Bright (2017)
Genre: Aftercare, Casual Sex, M/M, Porn with Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-22 19:04:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13770567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twowritehands/pseuds/twowritehands
Summary: Nick has never been in a casual, fuck buddy situation until he finds himself in one with Kandomere.Kandomere has never connected emotionally with his flings like he connects with Nick.Do they have the nerve to keep going?





	Dare to Do This

Before the ink had even dried on their statements, Nick and Ward were free to go.

Kandomere stood by the door as they filed out. Ward passed the agent silently. The elf didn't so much as blink; the ring of silver around his huge pupils bore through everything he looked at like lasers.

Nick felt nervous. Federal agents intimidated the shit out of him, but this elf was something else. His piercing gaze. His stoic expression. The scent that rolled from him, crisp and clear. Like the smell of ice. Just being near the elf made Nick jittery and self conscious.

Mind only on being free in just a few short moments, Nick was surprised when Kandomere stepped half in his path. He drew up short before crashing into the man.

“Take my card,” the blue haired, pointy eared fed said. He held up a business card that shimmered, iridescent.

“Why?” He asked, gaping at the elegant golden font which read _Special Agent K. Kandomere_ and then with a slight shift of the angle, his contact information appeared.

Silver eyes flashed. A quirk in perfectly formed lips made the expression undeniable. That was interest. Pure interest.

“You never know,” the elf said smoothly.

Then Kandomere stepped away, and Nick’s feet automatically carried him onward. Looking back, Nick saw those metallic eyes flick up from his ass.

Oh, _shit_.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

For Kandomere, an orc with a badge had been an interesting blip in the daily grind. Nothing but the wand, the Bright and the Inferni mattered. He’d gotten to his place as the head of the Magic Task Force by focusing his entire existence into a razor’s edge.

He did only three things: eat fine food, hunt magic wands, and ride big dick. And he prioritized these, like a boss. The food he allowed himself three times a day. The fucking, once a week. The rest of his time went to the hunt. It made him good. Damn good.

So by the end of the night, he stood calmly at the foot of Officer Ward's hospital bed, and listened as the orc babbled about various details in an incoherent jumble of images and emotions.

Jakoby didn't seem able to help himself. A need to share bloomed out of him again and again. There was something disarmingly charming about this rookie cop, this total dork. The raw honesty and innocence humored Kandomere. Not that he'd ever show it.

There was little Kandomere was prepared to show at any given time. For instance, Leilah was dead and her wand was in federal custody, after a _twenty_ _year_ chase. That should have been enough to make anyone dance around like a fool. Not Kandomere.

He stayed calm. Neutral. As if doing his job was the same old same old to him, through victory as well as defeat. Montehugh had grumbling comments to make to this end, but Kandomere ignored his newest partner. 

Stoicism was his first and often most reliable weapon. It never failed him and so he never went without it. Kandomere had learned a long time ago that people didn't expect much from those they didn't know much about. And nothing hid personal details like a blank face.

As was standard operating procedure, they made the cops jump through legal hoops. Medical check ups. Bureaucratic red tape. All the while, Kandomere kept an eye on them.

He found the rookie handsome, for an orc. He was on the small side for his race, but that only meant he was the equivalent of a _small_ armored tank. And his filed teeth… interesting. Kandomere had heard of it; he hadn't thought the result would be so… _endearing_. That seemed a strange word to apply to an orc.

But then what could be stranger than an orc cop?

He gave the young man his card on a whim. He liked Nick Jakoby. He could feel a certain deep pool of potential there. And the fact was, he _did_ need to celebrate the professional win of the night, and he would be due soon for his weekly night of play. Who better than the interesting orc caught up in the center of it all?

Based on Jakoby’s shock while taking the card, and his bewildered glance back as he walked away, Kandomere felt an unfamiliar but potent tug of uncertainty.

Maybe Jakoby wasn't going to take him up on the offer. What street cop would want to date a _fed_?

But a breath later, Kandomere brushed the unease away. Jakoby would either call, or he wouldn't. It didn't matter either way; Kandomere had plenty of willing partners waiting in the wings.

  


|∆|∆|∆|∆

 

It didn't take long for Nick to dig the card out of the drawer he'd shoved it into. Orcs and elves existed in separate orbits for the most part, but to be an orc with an invitation from an elf was like one in a million. You just didn't pass that up.

Setting the date could have gone smoother. But Nick’s bumbling, babbling voicemail was met with a text that told him when and where. The swift efficiency and cold, bare tone of the text made Nick uneasy. Was this somehow a trap?

Was Kandomere only interested as a means to keep tabs on the human Bright?

But each time he asked himself these questions, he remembered that intense look of interest. Or how he’d caught the elegant man checking out his ass as he left.

If he was a means to keep an eye on Ward, he wasn't _only_ that. Kandomere had a real interest. Perhaps just a fleeting one. But it was real. Nick would stake his badge on it.

As the date approached, Nick managed his anxiety by just not thinking about it. At least, not in daylight hours. (Alone in his bed at night was this whole other thing.) He focused on the job, on keeping in Ward’s good graces, and trying not to mess up the begrudging respect he had gained from a handful of his fellow officers.

When the day finally came, he headed into elftown while the sun went down. A fresh application of deodorant. Nails trimmed and scrubbed. Breath minty fresh. Condoms. Lube. Butterflies in his gut.

An elf.

All sexual beings with a pulse had an elf fantasy. That was just the result of powers that be brainwashing the masses with modern advertisement. Nick was caught in that pornado as much as the next guy.

His favorite was orc/elf porn. A niche genre which tended toward the hardcore. The kind of videos with screenshots that made him wince if he opened his laptop to find it all still pulled up from the night before. Nothing grotesquely violent, but nothing he would find it easy to explain to Jesus, either.

There was just _something_ about the immaculate perfectionism and calm control of an elf shattering against the hot blooded _beast_ of an orc’s raw passion...

Doing a difficult job of sweeping these thoughts aside, Nick parked in visitors’ parking and made his way inside a building so nice it felt more like a museum of fine art. And judging by the statues and gilded framed paintings decorating the lobby, it wasn't a far off assessment. With every other step, he thought this was a bad idea, but instantly his libido didn't give a fuck.

He knocked on a hand carved mahogany door. A moment later it opened. Kandomere stood there looking out at him with a knowing smirk. Nick went breathless.

Intense silver eyes over slightly rounded cheeks, a cleft in his chin; Kandomere was every bit as handsome as Nick remembered. But instead of his dapper suit, he was in nothing but a silk robe that hung off one thick shoulder. His blue hair was tied up in a sloppy bun.

“I knew you'd come to me,” he said by way of greeting. That lightly accented voice was pure sin. Those scintillate eyes dropped down Nick’s body. He'd worn his best fitting jeans, and his cleanest button down shirt, but even being the only one in real clothes, he felt under dressed.

Nick cleared his throat. “Do you need time to get some clothes on? Or--?”

Kandomere chuckled and moved backwards.

As if pulled by an invisible spring, Nick followed without invitation. The carpet was thick under his shoes. The scent of eucalyptus wafted from an open door down a hall to his right. Nick glanced and saw a bathroom door open enough to show a massive tub filled to the brim with steaming sudsy water.

“Am I way too early?” He asked, thinking he caught his date just as he’d been about to bathe.

“No,” Kandomere said. He picked up two wine glasses and passed one to Nick, who took it to be polite.

“So…” Nick started, unsure how to phrase his question. _So we're just gonna jump right in bed?_

“This is how it's going to be,” Kandomere said, apparently understanding the unspoken question. “I go fast and hard, and I won't be getting sentimental or emotional. Just because we're fucking doesn't mean we’re dating. I’ll do as I please, when I please. If we see each other out in the world, I may know you. I may not. Always take my lead. _Never_ tell any of your little cop friends you've nailed the fed. Are you in?”

Nick huffed out a lot of breath. Stunned, he didn't have an answer right away. On one hand, being used as a fuck toy wasn't even in the top one hundred things Nick had ever considered in even his wildest fantasies. On the other hand, yes please.

A part of him had been worrying itself to shreds about how the hell it was supposed to work. A federal agent elf with a street cop orc? _Impossible_.

With rules, though… That might be possible.

Could he put sentiment and emotion aside?

He could fucking try.

Hell, yeah, he could try.

Nick drank deeply from the wine, and ended up humming around the flavor because _damn_ that was good. One sip probably cost more than he made in a year. Kandomere stood there, watching with slightly parted lips.

Blue hair fell in wispy strands down his elegant neck. One muscled, alabaster shoulder seemed to almost shine in the low lighting. His bare feet had high arches and slender toes. A thigh had slipped from the gap in the robe showing surprisingly dark, furry leg hair. The thigh hadn't come out by accident, not by any means. Nick saw firm, perfectly shaped muscle flex and not even that flex was accidental. Nothing an elf did was mindless.

“I have rules, too,” Nick said suddenly. His own bravery caught him by surprise, but it came from that ever deepening pool of self respect inside himself. He wanted this opportunity, but not at any cost.

Kandomere flicked a dark eyebrow, and humor flashed in his eyes. “Oh?”

“We always use condoms. We pick a safe word.” When Kandomere laughed outright at this, Nick advanced a step, saying lowly, “Hey. Even if you aren't into the crazy dangerous shit, we're going to have a safe word. Orcs are stronger than elves, and horny orcs are strongest.”

Kandomere looked incredibly pleased. “Fine. Our safe word will be _Wand_.”

That made Nick grin.

“Anything else, officer?”

“Um,” he shifted. “You can't ignore me in public.”

Kandomere’s humor dropped away. Nick pressed on. “If you want orc dick, you’ll get it. But not if it's some dirty little secret you think you can sweep under the rug. You know me. So when you see me, you acknowledge I'm there. I'm a _person_ down to fuck, not a throw away fuck toy.”

Silence followed this. Nick held his breath. Had he just wrecked his chance? Had he walked through that door with a half naked elf primed to hop on his dick but ruined it with _morals_?

Fuck, he hoped not.

Kandomere studied him. At length, he smirked. “Do you have _any_ idea what you're getting into?”

“An arrangement between consenting adults,” he said. “Built on fast, hard sex and mutual respect.”

“I'm capable of anything, you know,” Kandomere warned. He sipped delicately from his wine glass before setting it down. “I expect to be pleased. If I'm not, I could ruin you and your entire life on a whim. Wouldn't even have to go out of my way.”

White hot heat flashed through Nick. Rage. “Are you _threatening_ me?”

“Enlightening you.”

“Look, pal,” Nick growled. “Do you agree to acknowledge our acquaintance in public or not? Because if it's not, then I'm walking.”

“A bluff!” Kandomere huffed, angry metallic eyes searching Nick’s face incredulously.

“Is it?” Nick bolstered. Fuck, he was screwing this up. If his dick could mutiny on him, it would right now. An elf wanted him, and he was talking about walking away?

A small piece of his resolve crumbled, and he sighed, continued in a softer tone, “Look, just say you will. How likely is it that our daily paths will ever cross again, anyway?”

He watched that excellent point land on Kandomere, who tilted his head and studied him stoically.

Nick had a creeping suspicion that he somehow-- _somehow_ \--had the upper hand in this. Could it be possible that this wealthy, intelligent, powerful man was _desperate_ to be with an orc?

Clearly, the elf was used to getting his way, no questions asked. But Nick had challenged him and made an outrageous bluff, and he hadn't been shown the door. That meant… Kandomere wanted Nick _more_ than Nick wanted Kandomere.

How the fuck was _that_ possible?

“Deal,” Kandomere said suddenly. Clipped.

That efficient, powerful agent was back in control. When a hint of that ice scent touched Nick’s slit nostrils, he wondered if that wasn't the scent of an elf’s will power.

“Deal,” Nick echoed. He allowed his pleased smile to spread his lips wide enough to show the blunt nubs of his tusks. The heady rush of his victory made him suddenly dizzy.

Kandomere took Nick’s wine from him and placed it on the nearby table next to his own--then he promptly dropped the robe.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

From the minute Kandomere first heard that cute, bumbling voicemail, he was off road. What was supposed to be a run-of-the-mill fling went totally sideways before it had even started. Because listening to the voicemail left by Nick Jakoby had made Kandomere _smile_.

Smile!

He’d been alone in his living room at the time, thank God. He'd have never lived that down if someone had seen it.

Kandomere had texted a response, sensing but not allowing himself to examine, the fact that Nick Jakoby wasn't like the others. This orc didn't put on a cool front, mirroring an elf’s stoic calm. For instance, most sane people would have taken the option to delete that message and rerecord; but Jakoby hadn't done so.

What kind of charming bullshit was this?

Kandomere had always had a _thing_ for orcs, sure. (His bookmarked elf/orc porn sites attested to that.) But not dorky ones like this guy. This fucking guy.

Preparing for the date had been standard. A silk robe cut right through the logistics of going somewhere just to come right back here for sex. And it canceled the need for that benal first date small talk. It got them right to business every time. And, bonus, Kandomere didn't have to spend a lot of effort deciding what to wear.

For years now, this was how he operated. They showed up. He laid down the law. It was accepted. The fucking began. And when he was done, he was done. The date left, sometimes before the sweat had even cooled. Then the bubble bath called. Kandomere soaked, and drank his wine, and Moved On.

Tonight, he had prepared for this date while not allowing himself to assume it would go any differently.

But then Nick walked into this apartment and didn't buy into the popular belief that an elf had all the answers. He didn't believe that Kandomere's crazy rules were somehow wise and unquestionable. Because Nick saw him as a person, not a race. And as such he _expected more_ from him than the fake surface shit.

Kandomere’s perfectly constructed nonsense never stood a chance against that. But he wasn't about to admit it just yet.

Nick Jakoby was making an experienced and jaded federal officer feel off kilter and vulnerable. What else was he supposed to do but get naked? Dropping the robe had been a somewhat desperate attempt to get back in control of the evening.

Sex. Kandomere was good at sex. The sooner he could prove that, the better. He'd have a bargaining tool. Something to use to ensure things didn't get… out of control...

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

A soft swoosh of fabric pooling on the carpet, and blood left Nick’s head so swiftly he lost his vision for a second. When it came back, he was somehow closer to Kandomere. Did he just stumble forward like a fool? No. Thank Jirak.

Nick could see that the wine glasses were no longer in Kandomere's reach. Another perfectly calculated move on his part. Or was it? After all, it only served to make Nick touch him all the sooner.

Hey. He still had the upper hand here! That was cool. But why did this have to feel like some kind of battle? He didn't want the night to be that, the same old struggle for power that constituted his average day. He wanted something different. Some kind of escape. Any kind.

Even if it meant--

Nick shuddered just considering it.

Full surrender.

His belly swooped low, dragging him to his knees. Right there at the elf’s feet. He could see in Kandomere’s expression that this was _exactly_ where he had expected Nick to end up. Dammit. Not so in control after all.

Again, his libido didn't give a fuck. A body rush coated the stinging pride. This was definitely an escape from the norm.

He gazed up the body standing over him. Kandomere was blocky, for an elf. But his muscle tone matched his frame, and he still managed to have elegant bone structure. Another unusual aspect, he had a surprising amount of dark body hair, thickest where a magnificent cock jutted at upright full attention.

Nick laid hands on him, just to admire the juxtaposition between orc and elven skin. The hairless parts of Kandomere’s body were as smooth and golden as a sun warmed apple. His hip was soft and supple--Nick squeezed greedily at the supple flesh, leaving finger dents. A red shadow lingered before fading, teasing him to try again to leave a mark.

In the interracial videos, the jacked up orcs were always paired with the daintiest elves to flirt with the danger of physical harm. In the most hardcore ones, the elf ended up a red, drooling, sweating mess by the end. Completely ravaged, spent, wrecked by the power of an orc.

Kandomere was not the daintiest--he had a sensual amount of flesh at the hips, tummy and ass that sent a zing through the heart. And the furry parts of him, his arms and legs and pits and chest--they had their own allure, too. Nick always had a thing for body hair, being naturally hairless himself.

Nick appreciated that Kandomere looked nothing like the twinky elves in porn. Because he knew he fell far short of being like the hulking orcs in the videos. This was real bodies. Real people. Real sex.

Silky smooth hands lighted on his face, and Nick looked up into the most graceful look of desire he had ever seen…. But swiftly, the needful expression became guarded by demand.

Clarity dawned on Nick in that moment.

Kandomere didn't desire _him_ so much as he desired to be worshipped. Typical elven vanity--to be expected. It was even in the videos. The orcs were there to please a god like no other race on Earth possibly could. It was a script that played to both races’ egos.

And fuck it all if it wasn't hot as hell to play out.

Because the reality wasn't so impersonal.

Kandomere needed an orc, but of all the orcs in LA, he chose Nick. That made Nick the strongest, biggest, best orc. The least he could do, while he was here, was make Kandomere feel like the most revered elf.

Nick kissed him on the belly button first. He could feel muscle beneath the soft cushion. He couldn't resist the urge to nibble the pliable flesh. He wanted to see teeth marks bloom and fade like his handprint.

As he worked down the dark happy trail, he whispered the few elvish words of devotion that he knew, followed by some filthy Orcish just to beef it up and make it good.

The physical reaction he felt beneath his hands made the game ten times more fun. He slipped sideways into an alter ego. Someone who truly did worship elves.

“Yes,” Kandomere hissed breathlessly. Nick could hear the staggered breathing, and, unless he was crazy, an intermittent tremble shook his frame. But maybe that was Nick--hard to tell. This game was so new. So _fun_.

He was about to lose his last thread of self control. His cock throbbed and itched. He left it trapped in his jeans, waiting for his lord to demand it.

He sucked Kandomere’s cock with everything he had to offer. It felt good on his tongue. Tasted good, too. Nick couldn't help an honest moan, just like when he'd tasted his sip of wine.

Kandomere palmed the back of his head, nails lightly scratching little circles of encouragement. Nick moaned again and sucked deeper. The cut head of his dick hit the back of Nick’s throat and he gagged, spitting him out.

A thick thread of saliva stretched between his lips and the tip, breaking the moment he and Kandomere made eye contact. His cock ached to be free. He gasped.

Kandomere swooped down on him. Nick landed on his back on the thick carpet. Caged there, he was kissed more deeply than he had been expecting considering this wasn't supposed to mean anything. But then maybe it was a cultural thing, and kisses like this were standard to an elf. Orcs didn't kiss just anyone. (It was a teeth thing.) But damned if Nick could pull back now.

Kandomere's mouth was _fucking amazing_ , and lying chest to chest like this? All 180 pounds of the elf on top of him like a perfectly weighted body pillow? Miles of naked skin to rake his hands over? Mouths locked hungrily, breaths roaring? Fuck yeah.

He sunk hands into all of that blue hair, tearing out the tie that held the sloppy bun and tangling in his fingers of both hands. Nick kissed his heart out as his hips bumped to bring much needed friction to his trapped and aching dick.

Kandomere’s mouth smacked away when he sat up on his knees, straddling Nick. Blue hair fanning back, naked chest, naked thighs, his dick laying heavy against Nick’s shirt; he was divine from this angle. When Nick traced chest hair, a nipple, a rib, a hip bone, the revering touch wasn't an act.

He could. Not. _Believe_ . How. Fucking. _Lucky_. He was to be pinned to the carpet by this man.

Shit, it was barely started and it had already out done even the very best fantasy Nick had ever had.

Obviously enjoying the caresses, Kandomere smirked down at Nick. Those silver eyes locked on him, like a bird of prey targeting his feast from two miles away. Nick shivered.

Before he even knew what was what, his belt was gone and his jeans were open. His heavy cock, hard like a lead pipe, seeped as nimble fingers circled it and pumped.

Eyes falling closed, jaw falling open, Nick moaned. His head rolled back. He bucked into the tight ring of fingers. Kandomere’s other hand came to rest on Nick’s exposed throat, causing his eyes to shoot open in surprise and a tinge of fear.

He instantly met a liquid mercury gaze that promised him everything but harm. Nick relaxed, tilting his chin up more, inviting his date to apply just a little more pressure in the dominating hold. Kandomere lifted one end of his lips ever so slightly. Rings of molten moonlight blazed in his eyes. Sheer lust.

A full body tremor rolled through Nick, then. Later he would recall that sensation and know why so many elven rock songs talked about elves bringing _thunder_ to the bed.

Fuuuuuck.

Wanting more, Nick’s roaming hands met at Kandomere's bare ass, parting the cheeks. Time to get this show on the road. Preparation. Lube. Condom. They had a ways to go before he could fuck his date properly, and it was too far for Nick’s liking.

He needed to be inside. Right. Now.

“Want me?” Kandomere asked on the front of panting breaths, no doubt feeling the throbbing pulse of the dick in his one hand, the desperate gulps of air in the throat under his other palm.

All of the sudden, Nick had enough of being pinned, at the mercy of this elf. He knifed upright, hooking an arm at Kandomere's lower back and twisting. The sudden position change surprised his date, who doubtless wasn't used to being manhandled.

But Nick weighed 240 pounds and could bench three times his body weight. He could and happily _would_ put Kandomere anywhere he damned well pleased.

Gasping, Kandomere didn't fight the change in position. In fact, he only hitched his muscled, furry legs up higher around Nick’s waist, grabbed his head with both hands and kissed him deeply again.

Kneeling over the man, dicks pressed together, Nick got lost in the kisses again. So damned intense. Two forces of hunger clashing in a delicious battle.

His shirt was opened and shoved off his shoulders into the crooks of his elbows before he knew what was what again. His already opened jeans bunched at his knees until he kicked them away entirely.

He kept them close, though. His condoms and lube were in a front pocket. He'd need them soon, but for now he put two fingers in Kandomere’s mouth. The elf obediently coated the digits with saliva, but something flashed in his eyes. Wicked mirth that seemed out of place.

Soon enough, Nick caught up to the joke. He planted his knees under Kandomere and lifted those cushy hips up his thighs. Then he put his wet fingers to the elf’s hole--and gasped.

His initial press in was too easy. The muscle was already stretched and slick. Wide open, wet and ready.

“I never begin a meeting unprepared,” Kandomere said cheekily.

“A _meating_ , huh?” Nick asked, tone plus a deliberate plunge of two fingers suggesting the change of spelling. A pun that really only worked on paper. When Kandomere didn't immediately laugh, Nick pumped his fingers and explained, “Get it? M-E-A-T--?”

“I got it,” Kandomere cut in, but he was amused even if he tried to hide it.

Nick scissored, and delighted when the elf jolted, a hit of pleasure like a lightning strike. His opened-mouthed gasp, the swoop of his throat, the outline of his ribs as he arched his back; flawless.

Utterly flawless.

Nick hurried to get his protection in place, coating the rubber in lube. Then he lined up, gripped those perfectly pillowy hips, and pushed in.

Kandomere tensed at the breach but locked his legs around Nick’s waist. He clutched at Nick’s shoulders, leaving nail marks across his two-toned collar bones as he dragged his hands down to swipe at Nick’s nipples.

Cut loose, Nick went for it. Right there in the living room of a condo that he'd not been given so much as a cursory tour of, he ravished his lover with instinct, praise and a touch of aggression. Kandomere gave as good as he got. At times, what he did could only be described as Fighting Back, but other times he held Nick by the face and the kisses were So. Damned. Consuming.

What surprised Nick the most was how long he lasted. A wet dream coming true on a Thursday night should have been a humiliating lesson in premature ejaculation. It wasn't.

He didn't win any marathon medals, but he held onto his dignity.

Kandomere came first. Nick couldn't hold off for a second longer, busting the moment he felt that fluttering spasm of muscle clenching his dick. His grunting and moans topped out in a gasp, then a second gasp, a choking sound. Then he growled as he pumped through, emptying every last drop into the condom, deep in Kandomere’s ass.

Meanwhile, Kandomere came with a shout, painting himself up to the chest. Then he panted and gasped on each thrust as Nick rolled his hips again and again, pushing his still hard but spent cock through that wrecked hole. Again and again. Just to feel every last spark of electricity firing in his nervous system.

He felt Kandomere start to twitch with overstimulation so finally pulled out. He made quick work of removing and tying up the condom. Then, chest working like bellows, he collapsed into the floor beside his date.

He chuckled when he didn't recognize himself. Sex in the floor was a first for Nick, and so was sex on the first date. (Wait, no. Technically this wasn't a date, right? This was… an arrangement.)

Whatever.

Nick was still riding the high of his orgasm, so didn't even give a damn about the technicalities or the vocabulary. One thing he did know--this was the luckiest he'd ever been in his life.

And he'd been brought back from the  _dead_ last week.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

Kandomere hadn't come so hard in… _ever_.

Fuck. That was good. So damned good.

In some ways it was still going. This surge of pleasure almost seemed to loop through him. His thoughts weren't on now, where he was a sweating heaving mess on his living room carpet. They were on before, when there was no living room. No floor… no world. Just an orc taking his pleasure; taking _him_ with no mercy.

Minute details kept surfacing in the elf’s mind. The clutch of Nick’s fingers at his hip or the nape of his neck as they fucked. The sharp bite of his teeth. The way moans had vibrated through them both. The revering praises, _just like in the very best orc/elf porn._ Simply recalling these little details fucked Kandomere up.

His limbs felt shaky. His spine felt tingly. He panted for breath, somehow feeling _butterflies_ even after everything. What the actual fuck?

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|∆

 

Adrenaline left Nick’s system. He could feel the weight of his limbs. The alluring fingers of a sex coma stroking the edges of his consciousness. He blinked away the sleepiness. The night wasn't over yet.

He went back up to his knees and stared down at Kandomere. The man had a sheen of sweat at his clavicle, pools of ejaculate dotting his torso, angry red marks all over where Nick had gripped or bit too hard. His otherworldly eyes were hooded, and his breathing was steady but deliberate, giving away the elf’s inner frenzy.

“I hope I didn't hurt you.”

“No.” It was a response made mostly in the shake of a blue head and the shape of lips that expelled breath more than voice.

“Good.” Nick said, pleased because now he could move him without fear. He scooped both arms beneath the elf and lifted him, going to his feet in two semi fluid steps.

He stumbled a little. Hey, Nick was a small orc and Kandomere was _not_ a small elf. But he got steady on his feet quickly enough. His arms burned but he powered through.

Kandomere gasped with surprise and wrapped arms around his neck and shoulders. Nick fucking _loved_ that feeling and so shortened his steps to the bathroom. The hallway was too narrow, and Nick had to turn sideways to get them through without banging any part of Kandomere on the walls.

That's when silver eyes glinted wickedly and Kandomere changed position in his arms, from bridal to koala without Nick missing a stride.

With thick, long legs wrapped around Nick’s waist again, arms folded around his neck, chest to chest, he whispered,

“This part isn't usually in the videos.”

Breath wafted a mess of loose blue hair out of Nick’s face. He felt himself blush. “I was wondering if you were familiar with the fantasy.”

“We all have guilty pleasures.”

“Can pleasure be guilty?” Nick asked. Kandomere blinked.

Nick smirked and touched a knee in silent demand for him to climb down. The elf stepped from Nick’s arms straight into the luxurious bubble bath.

The water level swelled just a little. Kandomere sank all the way to his sharp ears, vibrant smile showing perfect teeth, a throaty moan that echoed in the tiled room. It was so hot, Nick’s first thought--honestly--was that the man had a sex toy hidden beneath the bubbles that he just sat on.

“Get the wine.” The order was soft but loud in the acoustics. Nick promptly pivoted and raced naked back to the living room for the abandoned glasses. He grabbed the bottle too and hurried back.

The vision slammed into him when he rounded the door jam. Kandomere in steam, that rounded face tilted upward, long throat glistening with tiny bubble trails sliding slowly over a hickey with a distinct bite mark. Pure pleasure written on his face.

Nick almost dropped the wine. He gulped from the glass in his left hand. The ambrosia exploded over his taste buds, and he hummed again. This was the best liquid he had ever tasted in his life.

His yummy noise made Kandomere open his eyes and grin again. One sudsy hand surfaced and beckoned with a crooked finger. Nick didn't need a second invite.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

They _never_ stayed to share a bath. Not ever. One or two dates in the past had shown interest in doing so, but Kandomere had always shut it down. His bath was his _bath_. His church. His sanctuary.

But Nick fucking Jakoby wrecked him and then carried him to the bath without being asked. Carried him!

An orc’s strength was a significant part of Kandomere’s lust for the race. He craved that feeling, like he was weightless. Dainty. Fragile.The perfect epitome of elven beauty. Rather than the stocky, hairy elf that he actually was.

For the first time ever Kandomere sank beneath his protective bubbles, while his fresh new lover looked on.

Nick Jakoby, naked, was so beautiful he should be a permanent installation of art in this bathroom.

The orc was mottled blue and white, the white crooking almost like lightning over firm pecs and washboard abs. Completely hairless, his body was almost like stone, but warm and satiny to the touch, with a heartbeat. And that dick. Holy hell.

Nick’s dick was uncut and huge. Even placid it swung heavily as he raced away and back for the wine.

How could Kandomere _not_ invite him into the tub?

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

Nick’s first step overflowed the water, and he babbled apologies, attempting to jump out and grab towels. But he was told by his host not to worry… By the time he was settled in front of Kandomere, he felt as if half the water was now in the floor. Kandomere didn't seem to mind one bit. He took the wine bottle and refilled their glasses.

Hot water lapped at Nick’s nipples. He wasn't that far off with ideas about sex toys--the tub had pulsating jets at full blast. They arranged their legs in the confined space so that once more, Kandomere was basically in Nick’s lap. Two sculpted calves went over Nick’s thighs and caged his ribs, kneecaps breaking the water’s surface just outside his armpits.

“This is nice,” Nick said, checking out every corner of the bathroom that was literally bigger than his bedroom back home. Marble countertops, fluffy hand towels, a lot of mirrors. The far side didn't have a shower in it--it _was_ a shower. No doors, no ledges. Just a big fancy shower head on the wall and a drain. In fact, the water Nick had spilled was trickling toward that drain now.

“Wow. This is so nice,” he repeated in total awe.

Silent, Kandomere clicked their glasses together gently. Even the chime echoed like music around the room. Nick's ears twitched, and he grinned crookedly. This was so far beyond his regular life. He felt like he was actually in paradise.

A slippery, slender foot slid against his thigh and hip, slow and purposeful. Bathtub footsy. Nick caught the ankle even as he sipped from his wine glass, loved the spark he saw in those grey eyes as his hand traveled up, up, up.

Bubbles gathered against his broad chest as he closed the distance between them. They kissed through a cloud of fermented fruit flavor, and the smacking sound of their lips was more music to bounce around the room.

“This is something you would like to repeat once a week,” Kandomere said. “Am I wrong?"

“Are you kidding? Who’s going to turn all this down?”

“Some do. My rules aren't easy.”

“Well, we’ve already fixed that with my adjustments. I think this arrangement can really work.”

Kandomere chuckled softly, but like everything else, it was magnified and repeated against the tiles. Nick liked the sound. It was like wine for his ears. He let his hands travel a little more beneath the surface, exploring the amazing landscape he couldn't see.

Oh, yeah, this arrangement could _definitely_ work.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

Their second date went much like the first. Knock on fancy door. Half naked elf. Nick's grinning, almost shy greetings were met with an icy scent and casual words. Nick tried to make some small talk happen. He wanted to actually know Kandomere.

“So how was your day, today?”

“Just fine.”

“Good…” Nick accepted the glass of wine. A beat passed in which the inquiry was not returned but Nick answered it anyway.“Um. My day was kinda crazy. There was this panahu gambling ring behind a dry clean--”

Kandomere dropped the robe, and words died on Nick’s tongue. He'd been fantasizing about that body for six days. Parts of it he had memorized, but others he had somehow forgotten. Like the dimples in his knees. Or the exact depth of his belly button.

And, bonus, at least two of the marks Nick had left still lingered. A hickey on the wing of one hip. Another on his inner thigh, just above the bend of his knee.

Nick knocked back a gulp of his wine and put it aside. Silver eyes locked on Nick, a teasing smirk. Kandomere sauntered past him, naked body moving with grace and confidence toward the bedroom at the end of the hall. Nick followed. A hopeless kind of need drove him after all that golden skin and lush body hair.

He took Kandomere on a bed this time. At first, the elf knelt on the side, and Nick remained standing. Kandomere's already prepped body took him greedily. And even half knowing what to expect this time, Nick still couldn't believe how good it felt.

But as hot as that was, it wasn't enough. So he manhandled Kandomere further onto the mattress, turned him over and fucked him face to face like before.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

When it was over, Nick carried Kandomere to the waiting tub and climbed in with him. Mind blown in the best possible way, Kandomere frowned. There had been something he had sworn he wouldn't allow… but he couldn't think because once again he had lost his footing.

Because, once again, Nick Jakoby had strode in and pushed through every boundary Kandomere had privately set for himself.

Fucked him face to face.

Got into the bubble bath with him.

Kandomere felt too deliciously wrecked to fight it. He'd totally surrendered. He'd become a little boat on the tide of Nick’s passion, swept away. A boat couldn't fight the ocean; not when it was made _to be with_ the ocean.

(If these whimsical notions were even perceived while Nick made him come, then they were now utterly ignored.)

The hot water of the tub soaked into their overwrought muscles. The eucalyptus scent of the suds soothed them further. They drank wine and kissed like before. But again Nick tried to make conversation.

“On my drive into elf town, I saw a new restaurant will be opening next week. A sign said vegetarian menu, so I'm interested. Do you eat meat?”

Kandomere may have been too weak to control what position they'd fucked in, and too weak to stop the orc from sloshing into the tub with him, but this he did stop. This talking thing. Bleh. And he did it by taking the obvious opening.

He put himself in Nick’s lap. “Oh, I eat meat, alright,” he said lowly and then devoured Nick’s mouth. As he had hoped, it wasn't long before they were both hard again and fisting each other under the suds.

After coming for the second time that night, they left the water. Kandomere shrugged on his robe. Nick dressed. “Next week?” He asked, and he must have practiced because he was far less awkward this time. (Parting last week had been as disastrous as his initial voicemail.)

Kandomere nodded.

“Maybe we--” Nick drew a breath here and just said it, “Can meet at that place I mentioned. Have some dinner before--”

“Come here, like usual.” Kandomere cut in but he did so gently. It took effort to put some steel in his voice. “I told you. We're fucking. Not dating.”

God help him, Nick looked devastated. Kandomere grit his teeth but didn't take it back. A moment later, Nick squared his shoulders. “You're right. We did agree to that.  So… I'll see you later.”

And with that he was gone.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

“Uh oh,” Ward said the next morning at the coffee pot. “Trouble in paradise?”

Nick made a non committal noise.

He knew he didn't have half the spring in his step he’d had last week. He couldn't help it. Kandomere’s refusal to so much as eat with him rankled him. He'd thought he could be a fuck buddy in exchange for amazing sex. But the thing about amazing sex--it hinted that everything could be amazing. Conversation. Laughter. Fuck, even crying together could be amazing.

But Kandomere wouldn't so much as _try_.

Ward chewed on the end of his plastic coffee stirrer, eyeing him. “Did you get all clingy and fuck it up?”

“What?” Nick’s ears flicked angrily. “No!”

“What's with the long face then?”

Nick sighed. “You ever get something _so good_ you can't stand it?”

Ward smirked. “That's the only way I get down, man, come on.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Sure.”

“Okay,” Ward chuckled. He made motions with his hand, that ‘keep going’ signal. “So if it's good what's the problem?”

“I want more. But this guy he has all these _rules_.”

“Shit. He ain't a prostitute is he?” Ward teased.

“ _Fuck_ you, Ward.”

“Look. I don't know know your business 'cos I don't want to know. But lemme say this: you're young. You still in your twenties. That’s a baby to a man like myself.”

“I am _not_ \--”

Ward held up a hand with a stern face that made Nick stop his protest. The senior officer continued. “You young, man. Rookies like you supposed to be living it up. Not tying yourself down. Look at me--is marriage good? Most the time, sure. Is fatherhood good? It has it's precious moments, but _fuck_ , man. Take it from me like it's the motherfucking gospel, okay? You _do not need_ all that noise right now. You're the first orc cop in this entire nation _and_ you're gay. You don't need to deal with all of that _and a_ needy ass husband who will want you to get a mortgage and an adoption lawyer and all that shit. Okay?”

“Hell, Ward. I'm not saying I want to _marry_ him, I just want--”

“If you don't want to marry him what's the problem?” Ward cut in loudly. “You're getting good sex. Just roll with that and don't worry about the rest!”

Nick fell silent, wiggling his ears as he thought it over. Ward had some good points. It was, logically, not a great time to get into anything serious. He still had a lot to prove to the world…

He drew a deep breath and dismissed all those buzzing thoughts, the ones that niggled at his heart whispering, _god, what if this is it? The stuff heaven is made of_?

Ridiculous notions, really. Especially going on nothing but two good fucks. Two encounters didn't mean shit.

Kandomere was an _elf_ , and a _fed_ , and he clearly had his own issues. How crazy would Nick have to be to take on that baggage on top of his own?

What he had right now was really the best he could hope for in a deal like this. Good sex, on the regular. No strings.

He could do that. He would just have to try harder not to fuck it up with _feelings_.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

Kandomere spent six days scoffing at himself every time he passed the new restaurant. It took him longer than it should have to recognize _guilt_. The moment he named it, he destroyed it. He did not deserve being made to feel guilty for acknowledging his own limits and sticking to them!

Dating was--Kandomere had closed that door long ago. He just didn't need all of that shit. Having to check in with someone. Having to stay loyal to them. Having to consider how they would feel about this or that. Meeting parents. Remembering birthdays and anniversaries and allergies--bleh.

So much simpler to go it alone.

When Thursday night came around, Kandomere was half prepared for Nick to not show at all. But because it was his routine, he drew his bath anyway. He opened the wine, and dressed down into his robe. As Kandomere prepared himself with lube, he decided that if Nick was so much as fifteen minutes late, he had a few numbers he could call….

He had a short list of agreeable dicks that, if called, would show up at a moment's notice. A perk of his simple, organized life. And it would be just as good. A dick was a dick, right?

The usual knock at the usual time came like a kettle ball to the gut. A thrill shot through him at the promise of that special brand of orc attention: rough but worshipping with surprisingly tender intervals. As much as Kandomere would hate to admit it, he wanted that with an intensity that ruled over all things.

Opening the door, he found Nick in his usual casual clothes. Shirt unbuttoned at the collar. Perfect fitting jeans. Before Kandomere could so much as demonstrate his calm, nonchalant greeting, Nick surged through the door. One strong arm clamped around his ribs. A hand went to the back of his head, locked him in place as Nick’s mouth sealed over his.

A wall met his back, a rock hard dick strained through denim against him so he lifted his legs up around Nick’s waist. Kandomere gasped when he heard the metal teeth of Nick’s zipper parting. They'd gone fast the last two times, but not _this fast_.

Breathless, Kandomere couldn't help but chuckle with glee. It took but a moment for the orc to rip into a tin foil packet. Before Kandomere had successfully fumbled open two shirt buttons, Nick was shoving in. No hesitation. No pleasantries. The wine wasn’t poured. Hell, his robe wasn't even untied!

 _Fuck_ , yeah….

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

It was just fucking, not dating, right? Nick had spent a good two hours getting himself in the right mindset for this. If Kandomere just wanted dick, then he'd get it. Nick would be nothing more than the hot blood behind Kandomere's thursday night cock. It could be that simple.

It could actually be nice, having so few expectations to meet. No stress… No responsibility…. No wonder Kandomere set up all these rules in the first place.

Fucking the man against the wall was erotic _and_ cathartic. Fully dressed, Nick took and gave and took some more until his muscles started to burn and sweat trickled down between his shoulder blades. This wasn't like him. No conversation. No foreplay.

Allowing himself to have a full fledge erection before he had even knocked on the door? The gentleman in Nick would be horrified. But Thursdays no longer required a gentleman, so he gave the guy the night off.

He didn't know he had it in him. But apparently.

For the first time ever, Nick actually thought with his dick. That meant he was literally driven by pure instinct. It wasn't like all the times before, where he noted a physical need and then allowed it to lead him. Honestly, there was no thought in his brain. It was like a blackout but with vivid attention to detail. He noticed every muscle, every hair, every sweet little gasp of breath between the dirty words--a symphony just for his cock.

The end began. Nick broke the kiss by pinning him to the wall with the bar of his arm. Kandomere responded to the aggressive hold with a snarl and a hair toss. “Fuck. _More_.”

Nick had no more. He finished with a hoarse cry of ecstasy. He pumped through, spurting again and again into the condom. It seared through his body like electricity through an appliance that had been switched off and back on. Real Nick rebooted just in time to feel the other man orgasm.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

Kandomere had been at the point of no return. Even though the orc finished first and his thrusts stopped as Nick emptied himself deep inside, the blood pounding through Kandomere’s body tipped him over the edge. Just thinking about it made the wave surge upon him and he came without stimulus a few seconds behind his partner.

It was the most helpless, surreal orgasm he'd ever had. Nothing like the ones he dug up during the pounding frenzies of the past. This one had body to it. It sang from the bones; it lifted to the top and then _sank back down_. It was a beast that cut a line across the mirror of the lake but never showed its face.

It lurked.

He gulped, heart racing, mind tied up on this phenomenon. Here he had believed to have every type of orgasm catalogued. How was there something new to discover? And from sex against the wall, too--basic waters he swam every other weekend.

He was shaking and laughing before he could control himself. The thrill of discovery was too potent, too delicious. (A drug. His drug of choice, the reason he became a detective.) He didn't realize his actions until Nick cupped the side of his face and giggled back.

Eye contact, another shy smile. “Hi.”

Kandomere’s breath reversed, killing the drunken laughter. He blinked in the face of a self conscious orc. Nick's manners had returned, and that had to be awkward as hell, since he was still literally inside Kandomere.

“Hi.” Kandomere squeezed his cock like a handshake. They both laughed, sweaty foreheads together.

Nick blinked and smacked his lips. “Uh....”

They separated. Kandomere’s tied robe closed back around his thighs. Nick stripped off the condom and tucked himself away. By the time he found the wastepaper basket by the door and dropped the rubber on top of old junk mail, Kandomere had his wits back.

He pushed a hand through his hair to straighten it, and used a commanding voice. “Thanks. See you next time.”

Nick put his fists on his hips, swelled with breath, blinked some more, then shrugged. “Yeah. Yeah. Definitely.”

A pause. Yellow eyes rocked to the open bathroom door. Kandomere pretended not to notice. He gave the man a serene smile that he hoped looked more convincing than it felt.

Nick got the message. He bobbed his head, grabbed the front door knob, then looked back and managed to give a cool wink. “Catch you later, Kay.”

A puff of breath at the short and sweet nickname came out as more of a charmed little laugh of agreement. The hell? The cop was gone before he could do anything to salvage his dignity.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

Nick went straight home, straight to his pathetic little tub, stoppered the drain and turned hot water on full blast. He had no bubble bath in the apartment. Had to make do with dish soap. No wine either, just his last cold beer.

He settled in, tremendously underwhelmed by the lack of pulsating jets. And the tiny bathroom, though clean, was uninspiring. He stared at the old water stain on the ceiling and wondered why he hadn't been invited to the after party this time.

He had a pretty good gut feeling that it was all spur of the moment. Not just tonight but all of them so far was seat-of-the-pants, and it had made sense to let Nick soak the other times. They were both naked and filthy by the end, both had glasses of wine to finish off.

Tonight neither of them got naked or had a glass. Nick would have liked to stay but it had suddenly felt too much like a date to linger just for relaxation. And Kandomere had felt it too. That was why he practically ushered Nick out the door.

They were on the same page, finally.  Maybe Nick was getting the hang of this casual business. Quick, dirty fucks were much simpler than the long drawn out marathons they had begun with. The lines were neater, easier to read.

Nick finished his beer. His bathwater was already getting cold, the suds sadly dissipated. He drained the water and toweled off. Shorter nights had perks but also drawbacks. He felt lonelier. If they were staying in this lane, once a week wasn't nearly enough.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

Kandomere was in the middle of a case when his private cell blipped. Text notification. He and Montehugh were in the car en route to check on a lead. He had time, so he read the message.

And then immediately wished he'd waited.

 _Once a week isn't enough,_  Nick Jakoby had written.

Fighting harder than necessary to keep from blushing, Kandomere typed, _Has to be._

_Doesn't. Change one rule and I can make you come in just a few hours._

Kandomere released a discreet breath nice and slowly. He could _not_ get all hot and bothered right now. Except that mother fucking beast lurking within rose up and rippled the surface menacingly.

_I'm working._

_I'm dying. Let me see you tonight._

His dick twitched against his leg.

Fuck this guy! Kandomere closed the message app, silenced his phone, and put it away. Montehugh glanced at him with interest, but he gave no explanation.

  


|∆|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

From the weight room of the precinct, Nick trusted he hadn't over stepped a line. True the tone of a text was near impossible to read without emojis, which neither of them had used, but dammit. Impersonal sex was half the value of real connection, which meant they had to double the dose or it was more work than it was worth, right?

Arriving home that evening, Nick waited for his dinner to cook in the microwave and tried not to check his phone. It would ding if he had a message. Kandomere would message him eventually. Maybe not tonight. The elf did have a demanding job, after all…

Ding!

Nick scrambled and nearly dropped the phone.

_Be here at 8._

Nick whooped and hurried back into his coat. He scrambled to make sure he had his keys and wallet and condoms and lube and then left before his microwave even finished cooking the frozen dinner.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

Kandomere felt bold this evening. The spirit that had overtaken him and sent the text demanding Nick’s presence now considered doing something brash. Risky. But oh so tempting….

Naked, he studied his body in the bathroom mirror. Last night's hickey was fresh and dark on his neck. He had his hair braided this time, as he intended to have zero energy to brush out tangles later, and in a fit of Badness he put on some sparkly blue lipstick. So he could finally leave some kind of mark of his own on that thick orcish skin.

Other than that, he wasn't going to wear a thing. Not even the robe. That's right. He was going to answer the door completely starkers.

A knock at the door. Kandomere's cock jolted, and his breath thinned. Fuck, the anticipation was deadly. He all but ran to answer it.

He did have the wherewithal to check the peephole first, to ensure it _was_ Nick. He saw the orc primp nervously, then give himself a quick, shameless rub through the jeans.

Kandomere bit his lip and jerked open the door. Naked. Exposed, but weirdly protected by the beefy orc gaping at him. He felt powerful.

“Yuh--” Nick choked.

He pulled Nick in by a fist full of shirt, and slammed the door. They stumbled all the way down the hall to the bed. Kandomere tore away the shirt, buttons pinging against the walls and landing forgotten on the plush carpet. He fell on the bed and heard the fly open again.

He tugged away the jeans as Nick put on the condom.

It was a brutal, fast fuck but they were skin to skin. Kandomere pressed shimmering lip prints to every place he could reach until the lipstick wore off. Nick traced his bottom lip with a thumb, brow inquisitive, eyes heated. Kandomere smirked.

“Hold me down.”

Nick pinned him to the mattress like a dangerous criminal. Kandomere’s blood spiked. He whimpered with a slew of filthy elvish. Begging for Nick to come. He wanted the orc to finish first again.

He wanted so many things. Too many to name, to even face. The mysterious beast surfaced again, and Kandomere got a good glimpse of it this time. Hope. Ugly, starved, it was awake after decades. Hunting.

It hoped for Nick. It wanted him.

Kandomere shuddered and did his best not to cry, but some orgasms just came with tears. He tried to be nonchalant about it.

Pulling out, Nick left the bed to deal with the condom. Then he turned back to Kandomere and simply looked at him. It was like he hadn't made up his mind yet on what exactly he would do. Get dressed, or linger… Those yellow irises cut to the bathroom door and back, meeting a silver gaze. Stretching out his arms over his head, Kandomere grinned.

Suddenly, Nick pulled him from the bed, scooped him up bridal style and turned to the waiting tub. As he let go so that Kandomere slid into the water, Nick asked lowly, “Sure this is okay?”

“Hm hmm,” Kandomere hummed with a sigh as he fell into a weightless place of heat and soothing scent. It was pure heaven on his wrecked muscles.

He felt Nick climb in, too and checked a grin.

Much better than before, when Kandomere had bathed alone in what had felt suddenly like a ridiculously too big tub.

“Oh, I see you what you did,” Nick said when he noticed the wine and two glasses Kandomere had positioned in easy reach on the tub lip. As if he'd known the night would go this way.

And okay, he had. Because he'd ensured it would. By answering the door wearing nothing but lipstick and tearing off Nick’s shirt, he'd made sure they would get naked and messy. He'd planned for Nick to wind down in the bubbles with him again, even though they had agreed yesterday that what they had was too casual for this kind of thing. So what? Why couldn't a bubble bath and some wine be the end cap to a night of casual sex?

Kandomere heard the sounds of wine pouring and then that sinful moan of delight the cop always made when he took his first taste. The question came out before Kandomere could stop it, “Fan of the wine, I take it?”

“God, this stuff is fucking unbelievable!” Nick said and he actually sounded breathless with awe. “It's like if clouds tasted like grapes!”

This made Kandomere chuckle. “You’re supposed to say it has notes of gooseberry and a smooth mouth feel.”

“Hahaha. Wait are you serious?”

Eyes still closed, Kandomere chuckled again. “You don't know much about wine do you?”

“Boxed wine, maybe,” Nick returned with a smile in his voice. A clink must have been him putting his wine glass down.

Kandomere opened his eyes when Nick pulled one of his feet into his lap and started massaging it. Oh, _hell yeah._ The elf allowed himself a great big sigh of satisfaction.

It had been literally years since he'd had sex two nights in a row, with the same person both times. Add in that sex with Nick was the best he'd ever had and it wasn't any wonder why Kandomere felt so deliciously wasted.

“Hmmmm, that's nice,” he murmured. “Was on my feet all damn day. New case, lots of leg work.”

“Yeah?” Nick asked, and his hands moved up to lightly squeeze and message Kandomere's calf. “Interesting case?”

Kandomere didn't answer. He'd realized with a jolt he was _sharing_. Couldn't do that. Damn! It seemed too obvious to mention but, geeze, a bubble bath was a seriously slippery slope.

This was supposed to be an end cap to casual. Not a fucking _date_.

Nick grunted, a not entirely pleased sound. He knew he was being ignored. But Kandomere didn't say a peep. He reached for his wine and drank it. Nick moved on to massage the other foot. His generosity in the face of Kandomere's stinginess made the fed huff, just like whenever he passed that vegan restaurant.

“What?” Nick asked.

Again he said nothing. He peeked through his lashes to see Nick twist his face in a flash of annoyance, and flick his ears. But to his credit he didn't push the issue.

Silence fell in which Kandomere attempted to get a hold of himself.

Somehow this night had tilted sharply out of his control, and he only knew one way to get it back. And that would require booting the orc out the door. Something he wasn't ready to do just yet.

“So,” Nick said eventually. “We're every Thursday and Friday now or… ?”

“No,” Kandomere sighed. “Fridays are usually no good for me. Today was a rare occurrence.”

“Aw, come on,” Nick said, “Don't tell me I'm not getting you twice in one week ever again. I'd die.”

“Saturdays are good.”

“Not for me,” Nick said. “I have a thing every Saturday.”

Kandomere frowned. “A thing?”

“Yeah,” Nick shrugged. “Standing dinner date.”

“With _who_?” His voice was louder and sharper than necessary and he sat up so fast water sloshed out.

Surprised, Nick answered with his eyebrows knit together. “With Ward and his family. His wife makes a _great_ vegetarian pot pie.”

Kandomere felt like a tool. He gulped deeply from his wine. Nick smiled, watching him closely. Kandomere closed his eyes and leaned back, trying to find that calm place he'd been at earlier. That relaxed place where all his troubles had been too far away to see.

When Nick's hands began to roam over his legs again, he breathed out and actually felt better.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

By his face, Nick might not have even been touching him. The elf seemed impassive, deep in thought. Eyes closed. He visibly made a decision and set the glass aside.

“One more adjustment to our arrangement.”

“Hm?” Nick was a little distracted by the fact that he had woken Kandomere's cock.

“I will be your one and only for the duration of this agreement.”

Nick’s ears flicked with confusion. “We have to be exclusive now?”

“No. _We_ do not. I may continue as I always have. But you are mine. You are too magnificent to share. As long as you want this,” he waved a wet hand around the room, “you answer only to me.”

“I don't think that’s fair,” Nick began. “You can't say I'm not allowed to look for real love. A placeholder is only good until the real thing comes along. You're denying me the chance to find something real.”

Kandomere breathed out, not meeting Nick’s eye. “My terms. Take it or leave it.”

Nick huffed and didn't have to think about it. He stood up out of the water. “I'm leaving it, then.”

“ _Don’t_ ,” the elf said sharply. The word rang around every corner of the room. Nick froze, water streaming down his ass and thighs. It was probably the first uncontrolled thing Kandomere had ever done in his life. Nick paused out of sheer curiosity.

Kandomere's eyes went cold and that ice smell returned, strange when mixed with the heat of a bubble bath. In two seconds, he was back in control and saved the slip by turning it into a threat, “--make me your enemy.”

Nick pushed air through his nose hard and stepped out of the tub. “Don't make me a prisoner. I’m a simple man with very simple desires. Family. Home. Love that sustains both. I don't need your fuck fest mess holding me back from what I truly want.”

Kandomere huffed superiorly. “You’ll never find anything this good.”

Nick growled, and it sounded truly intimidating in here, like maybe he had two fellas at his back, growling with him. “I might. Different, sure. But just as good in other ways.”

“Are you willing to take that gamble?”

“Are you?” Nick asked. After all, not many orcs could kiss like he could. Certainly none who also knew the struggles of law enforcement--this was a great match on lots of levels, but none of that mattered if the foundation was uneven. “If you want me exclusive in this, you have to be, too. Equals. We’re both in or I'm walking out right now.”

Chest heaving once more in a tell-tale controlled rhythm, Kandomere sat and thought about it with a pout. Nick glanced around and found a folded towel on a shelf. He reached for it.

“Nick. Stop.”

He did but only because he had never heard the elf call him by name, which was a disturbing realization. Nick didn't even know what the fucking initials stood for on that business card.

He left the towel on the shelf, moved closer to the tub, and leaned the heels of his hands on the lip. “Look. I don't know your deal. Why it is you're so afraid to share who you are. But if it has anything to do with you trying to be like other elves, can I just say? that's stupid. Be yourself. I know it's not so easy. You know I know what I'm talking about. It’ll suck sometimes. But other times? It's worth it. Just because you know who you are. It's a priceless feeling.”

Kandomere gulped. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. Nick grinned back, and pushed a wet strand of blue hair off his jawline, tucked it behind a pointy ear. Silver eyes moved back and forth as he looked into each of Nick's eyes, plush lips parted, and he surged up for a kiss.

 

|∆|∆|∆|∆|∆|

 

Kandomere knelt in his tub, body wrecked by yet another rendition of the best sex he’d had in his life, once again kissing the ever loving hell out of an orc because--

He was lost.

And Nick fucking knew that. Called him out on it like it was a piece of food in his teeth he could fix quickly. Be yourself, he said, like it was that simple.

He pulled Nick back into the water, and they sat close, nipples and noses brushing, hips crushed together. Nick’s hard cock pulsed against his stretched hole. When Kandomere tried to wriggle on, Nick held him off.

“Needa condom,” he grunted.

Kandomere huffed. “Why do my rules change and yours don't?”

“My rules make sense. They're there to make sure no one gets hurt.”

“So are mine.” The words were spoken before Kandomere could think better. _Shit_. His heart seized when he realized what he just admitted. Out loud.

Nick’s head pulled back. His yellow eyes widened, and large gentle hands came together on his lower back. Awkward silence fell.

Out of basic skill, elves didn't _do_ awkward silences. To have one fall, fat, in the the middle of sex was enough to die of embarrassment. His reflex was to get to business, blow Nick's mind with more sex. But without a condom, things were stalled. And it didn't even occur to Kandomere to go find one. Because that meant leaving the warm water, Nick's strong arms--just the thought made him feel too vulnerable.

“You know… you can trust me,” Nick whispered. “I’ll treat you right.”

It was hard to gasp because the air was so thick with bubbles and heat and orc musk. Kandomere dragged air into his lungs in a stilted heave.

Just like that, the image he had been trying to decipher came into sharp focus. He was behaving exactly like his mother. She had always kept good people at arm’s length, even when they were what she needed the most. He used to vow he would never make her mistakes. When exactly had he managed to do it anyway?

Things had to change, like _, right now._

“I sense that. It’s why I finally asked for an exclusive clause.”

Nick shook his head. “So, wait, you don't usually make anyone be exclusive?”

“It's easier to not make promises.”

“But then you asked me to? Why?”

Why? Kandomere poured more wine and drank. There was no simple answer for why he needed things how he needed them.

But Nick waited for an answer, stroking his spine. Patient. It was the most comforting thing anyone had ever done to him. Kandomere pressed his glass against bubbles just to see how they clung to the gentle curve. That way he didn't have to look right at those honest fucking eyes.

“It was easiest to just get you to agree. That way, if something happened I wouldn't break any promises.”

Nick’s lips parted and he inhaled. “Ah. You hope, but don't know, if you can do it right.” He smiled a little understanding grin not free of disappointment.

Kandomere did not feel great. That look meant he wasn't perfect. He obviously preferred others, especially lovers, to believe he was.  What was it about this orc that made it okay to be real for a change?

He blew a strand of hair out of his eyes and Nick brought a hand up out of the water to smooth it back for him. So gentle, and caring.

“I’ll try,” Kandomere heard himself promising. Oh god was this a good idea? Now he was going to have to actually turn people down, say I’m taken. Eventually those close to him would ask who it is. An orc; he was seriously dating an orc.

_It’ll suck sometimes. But other times? It's worth it._

Tomorrow was going to be a whole new world. A boyfriend to check in with. Orc dick whenever he wanted it.

“Exclusive.”

The orc’s ears wiggled, and he poured himself more wine to toast to that. They each relaxed against their side of the tub.

“What’s the K stand for? On your card, it says K. Kandomere.” Nick asked.

Kandomere chortled. “Wouldn't you like to know.”

“I would. I’m ashamed I've gone this long without knowing at least _that_ much. Everything we've shared… and I don't even know your name. That's messed up.”

A perfectly executed eye roll, “It’s…” he leaned and whispered in Nick’s ear.

“Oh,” Nick didn't know why he laughed but he did. Frankly, the name didn't match the man at all. It seemed so… _random_.

“See? Its awful! _Don't_ call me that,” Kandomere demanded. “I've never liked it.”

“No? Why not? Come on. K--” but a wet finger crossed his lips, stopping the name before it sounded. Nick hummed and said. “Oh come on. It’s not that bad.”

A sudsy shrug. “But it’s not me, either. I prefer Kan. It's what I have my friends call me.”

Nick moved in closer, lips very near the elf’s mouth. He pushed a wet finger down a strong, alabaster jaw. “Is that all I am, Kan? A friend?”

Kandomere's breath hitched. Nick pushed his wet fingers down his lover’s throat, lightly drawing the top of one nail across his jugular and up the other side.

“I think I’m special to you,” Nick whispered. “So I should be allowed a special name. Something only I can call you, ever.”

“I never felt like that name was mine. I've been going by Kan for over eighty years.”

Nick chuckled. “Okay… but when I’m inside you, _Kandomere_ is so impersonal. Kan is better but… What about Kandy?”

Eyes flashed threateningly but lips quirked, “I've punished people for calling me Kandy.”

“Yeah? Promise you’ll punish me?”

Then Nick yelped because Kandomere had taken his nipple and twisted it. Water sloshed from the tub, and then the melody of their combined laughter rang through the bathroom.

Wine glasses went on the tub rim and Kandomere ended up laying chest to chest with Nick, head tucked right under Nick’s jaw. Their wet bodies slid together promisingly. “You called me Kay, once.”

“Did I?”

“Yeah. And I liked it.”

“Kay,” Nick said. He put his arms around the man and kissed his blue hair. “Okay… Okay, Kay.”

They chuckled at the orc’s silliness.

As the night stretched on, they talked about everything as they finished the bottle. The trials of law enforcement and dating. Magic. Hobbies. Interests.

It was weirdly easy to admit things to Nick. Kandomere probably told Nick more things than he had ever told anyone. Ever. By the end of the night he was wine drunk, sleepy, and pruny. They toweled off, and Nick got dressed but Kandomere went to bed naked.

The last thing he remembered was saying good night as Nick slid in under the covers to spoon up behind him.

 

_Fin_

**Author's Note:**

> please please please go look at this amazing fanart of Kandomere! 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/14328306


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